Phase 1: UX strategy & innovation
Leveraging user research is a very effective way to define a UX strategy and drive the product vision. This usually takes place at the beginning of a project and ensures we design for the right thing.
A large set of activities will help to identify new opportunities. Most of the time we combine several diverging technics within a workshop with users and stakeholders.
Efficient converging methods in this phase are kano studies or card sorting. This helps identify what users would appreciate most, and helps to prioritize the right opportunity.
Combined with a prioritization grid the user value can be assessed in comparison with the team’s effort.
Phase 2: Tactical design
In this phase, it is about designing the thing right. Initial interviews are often a good start to understanding the as-is scenario while A/B testing provides understanding on which solution resolves the best user’s problem.
Also in this phase including prioritization methods can help to understand what part off the solution is most valuable for users. Thos outcomes offers great insights for the cross-functional team to scope and stage the UX story.
Phase 3: Evaluate and analyze
This last, but not less important, part is the evaluation analysis phase. As much as you run user research upfront you will only know for sure if your solution works if you release it.
Therefore, it is important to track how the solution is received but also how it is used. In our early access program, we enabled users to easily provide us with quick feedback.
We also used instrumentation to look at our usage data. These combined insights helped us to understand where we can improve, and where to continue our iterative process.
